Slope plate carrousel luggage claim systems are commonly used in airports around the world. Traditionally, these systems are constructed using welded steel for the carriage frames. Each carriage frame is connected to an adjacent carriage frame to form the collective length of the driven frame of the luggage claim system. A stainless steel slope plate, down which luggage may slide, may be bolted to each of the steel carriage frames.
With use over time, certain parts of the carrousel carriage frame may wear and break down resulting in costly repair and/or replacement. Moreover, the entire system may be out of service for the duration of the repair process because, in most cases, the welded steel carriage frame must be removed from the system to facilitate repair.
It has been observed that the welded carrousel carriage frame is likely to fail at the connecting link, where one carriage frame is joined to the next. These connecting links wear like any chain over time, which may cause elongation of the joined carriage length and pitch problems engaging the overall system drive.